Mineral beneficiation key to job creation
Friday, December 16, 2016
Honourably honest: Madigele says Botswana is at cross roads
This week Madigele delivered a well thought out and impassionate response to the State of the Nation Address challenging government to look deeper into terms of copper, soda ash and coal as the mineral industry value chain remains unexploited. Consequently, he said, endless employment opportunities as well as growth prospects, are buried in there.
He said extremely small copper components (nanoparticles or nanomaterial) are very invaluable in pesticides manufacturing. Madigele further said this could see double functions as both an employment creation and improving the agricultural sector.
Acting Agriculture Minister, Edwin Dikoloti, is right in saying opening an export-ready facility whilst Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) is still spreading would risk getting the whole country blacklisted before a single carcass leaves the door.A ban like that would break the already stressed nation. So, the postponement, painful as it is, is the right thing to do. The local economy is being squeezed from both ends. FMD has already slammed the door...